Just purchased more of this tea and brewed a pot. It’s an old favorite of mine. See previous note.
102 Tasting Notes
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Enjoyed this again. See previous note.
I almost hate to say it, but this tea is delicious. It’s like a cross between a Tie Guan Yin and a milk oolong. It has a creamy, floral, ever-so-slightly vegetal quality. It’s almost as creamy as a milk oolong, but it doesn’t taste buttery or milky. Very smooth and flavorful, and it holds up through multiple infusions. It has sort of a clear, pure quality. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy green oolongs. I’m going to repurchase it.
This “mysterious mixture” is good, but I don’t find anything exotic or mysterious about it. It’s a black tea with a variety of fruit flavors. A lot of flavored blacks have bergamot in them, so I was pleased to see Melange Mysterieux does not have it (if I want to drink Earl Grey, I’ll drink it — I don’t always want that Earl Grey flavor creeping into other blends).
I let this steep for five minutes, because when I’m drinking a flavored tea, I like the flavors strong; that’s just how I roll. On first sip, I detect strawberries and raspberries, along with some juicy peach and perhaps a tad (but just a tad) of orange flavor. As I continue drinking it, the black tea base comes through more. I like this black tea – it’s stronger than one would expect in a flavored tea. I can actually taste the tea, and it’s rich and dark, which I like. The finish is sweet with a bit of creaminess.
Overall, this is a good flavored black without being obnoxiously fruity or tasting like dessert in a cup. It’s less fruity than, say, Mariage Freres Marco Polo; but it’s more fruity than Harney’s Paris; and thankfully, the fruit flavors are natural and not artificial tasting. I especially like the rich and smooth base of the black tea, and I like that a variety of fruit flavors are present. It’s a perfect tea to have with scones or other pastries. All I have is a sample tin of this, but I’d be more than happy if another one came my way.
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This was one of my favorites from my Steepster Select box last fall. This is, simply put, a delicious Tie Guan Yin. The flavor is sweet, floral, smooth, just slightly grassy and creamy. There is no aftertaste; no bitterness. Underneath the floral oolong flavors is a basic “tea” flavor similar to a high quality white tea. It’s fascinating the way the flavors seem to be almost “layered” in this tea. Anyway, it’s such a wonderfully good-tasting tea that I’m going to have to seek it out and buy some more. I’m not usually a huge Tie Guan Yin fan, but I could drink this every day.
One thing I like about this tea, I confess, is that it’s a great bargain. The leaves are enormous but lightweight, so when you order 50 grams of this tea, you get what seems to be a very good quantity. It brews up with a medium yellow liquor that is mild and slightly roasty, slightly sweet — kind of similar to a Pai Mu Dan type of white tea, but not as robust and grassy. The flavor profile is subtle, but not delicate, and the aftertaste is clean and refreshing. Overall, a very good white tea, one that I’ve now purchased twice.
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This is a seriously GREEN green tea. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such green liquor in a tea that wasn’t pure matcha. What impressed me the most was how flavorful it was, without being bitter, even though I oversteeped it slightly. It’s kind of like sencha on steroids — the addition of matcha amps it up and increases the umami factor. The flavor profile is vegetal yet sweet; it’s not what I would call grassy or spinach-y. I enjoyed it and will probably purchase more.
This isn’t bad by any means, but it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. I was hoping for something strong, robust and malty. It looked promising in the cup — dark liquor, fragrant. But then I sipped it and was … underwhelmed. I had to add a little sweetener to bring out the flavor, and the flavor was OK, but not strong and powerful. It was a mild black tea flavor with a hint of plum. Kind of nondescript. Drinkable, certainly, and pleasant, but not something I see myself going out of my way to drink again.
When it comes to Golden Moon’s black teas, Sinharaja is my favorite so far.
Wow, is this good! I have to thank Shinobi_cha for the recommendation.
Golden Yunnan Buds is not typical of the black teas I normally drink — I typically like heavy, strong, thick, robust blacks. This isn’t delicate, exactly, but it’s not thick or strong or malty. It is exquisitely smooth, sweet, and slightly fruity, without being rich or heavy. Drinking it is such a pleasure; I feel like I’m treating myself to a fine, expensive wine (this is not to say this tea tastes like wine, but it has that “rare, fine” feeling to it). It’s like liquid silk. Sublime.
While it’s not what I’d consider a breakfast tea, or a real strong eye-opener (which is what I’m normally after when I drink a black tea), I could easily drink this every day and not tire of it. It’s that good.
This is a pretty good gyokuro. It’s one of the more forgiving ones I’ve tried — I oversteeped it this morning and it did not turn bitter at all.
I’ve tried it twice now — once, steeped for only 2.5 min. and once, oversteeped (5 min. or more). It yields a cloudy, greenish-yellow liquor that is nice and brothy, vegetal and with the typical gyokuro umami. It is not terribly sweet, and it’s not as salty or seaweed-ish as some gyokuros I’ve tried. The flavors are strong, though, not weak or watery. It’s a good-tasting green tea, and it’s one I anticipate reaching for often.
Flavored teas can be tricky. I’m the type of tea drinker who generally prefers unflavored, straight tea, so if I’m going to drink something flavored, I’m kind of picky. I want a flavored tea to still taste like tea. I want the flavor(s) to enhance the tea, not overpower it. I want the flavors to taste natural and not artificial. Coconut Pouchong satisfies my requirements.
The coconut flavor of this tea is lovely — as other reviewers have mentioned, it’s kind of a toasted coconut flavor. Very natural, and it smells wonderful as well. The tea itself — well, I think I would drink this tea even if it weren’t flavored, because it’s sort of in between a green and an oolong, but comes off more like an oolong. It’s sweet, only slightly vegetal, and a bit (but not too) floral. When sipping this tea, the flavor of tea mingles with the coconut flavor and the end result is a balanced, pleasing cup with no odd aftertaste.
Overall, drinking this tea is a wonderful escape. I like it iced as well as hot, and it goes perfectly with almost any type of Asian food. I find it the perfect foil to spicy Thai curries and noodle dishes, or even desserts such as mangoes and sticky rice.
I like this tea; the pumpkin flavor definitely comes through, along with a bit of maple. However, the black tea underneath seems a little on the bitter side. I had to add more sweetener than I would normally use with a black tea. And I definitely did not overbrew it. It’s good, but not great.
Well, I’ve done it. I finished the entire box of this, my now-favorite black tea. I’m glad Samovar has a coupon code right now so I can order more. I can’t bear the thought of the cold fall and winter days ahead without this in my tea cupboard. I don’t know what is in this, but it’s addictive.
This was so good! Roasted oolongs are hit or miss with me. Some I love, others just don’t seem to taste all that great, or the smoky flavor overpowers the oolong taste.
This tea smelled wonderful in the pouch — a bit charcoal-y. It brewed to a medium yellow liquor. When I took my first sip, it started off with a strong roasted flavor, but the finish was sweet and clean, not astringent or bitter at all. This was a surprise, the way the flavors morphed as I drank it. There was no aftertaste.
Such an interesting flavor profile, and yet smooth and easy to drink. I’m looking forward to repeat infusions.
I pretty much have to drink this at least once a week. I actually crave it. Reluctantly, I admit it’s become one of my favorite teas — it would be in my top five, no question. That’s how well the flavors blend together. It is my “no-brainer,” easy, good-tasting tea. Wonderful iced, but just as good hot, and also tasty even if it’s been sitting around at room temperature for a while. I can rebrew the leaves at least three times, so I feel like I almost get my money’s worth.
(see previous tasting note for my full review)
This is a good “everyday,” non-fussy white tea. It produces a medium yellow liquor with woodsy, nutty, yet slightly floral, notes. Very smooth and easy to drink. Something about it reminds me of hay or straw, although that’s not to say it tastes like straw. It doesn’t have the delicate sweetness of some higher grades of white tea, but sometimes, that’s not what you’re after. This one is easy to brew, forgiving of oversteeping, and tastes great iced as well, or mixed with other teas.
I’ve now repurchased this tea twice, so it seems it is going to be a staple in my cupboard. It’s the perfect accompaniment to waffles, pancakes, toast, English muffins…or anything toasted, because it has that wonderful, distinct “toasty” note. This morning I had it with waffles, maple syrup and blueberries. It’s a “warm” black tea, comforting, bold and strong. I could drink this every day.
You know how I know I really love a tea? When it’s my first choice, several times a week. That’s how it’s been for me with Ancient Gold. When I first tried it, it struck me as a very good black tea, but nothing outrageously great. Well, my perception is evolving, because whenever I’m in the mood for black tea, this is what I reach for. Even though there is a little voice in my head saying, “You just drank this yesterday. Don’t you think you should be trying X tea from the sampler you got from X company, or using up some Y tea from Z company?”, I stifle the the voice and drink Ancient Gold anyway.
I seem to be craving its rich, dark, smooth flavor. It goes well with everything. The color, the smell, the taste — they all really hit the spot. So I’m upping my rating.
I can’t believe I haven’t already reviewed this. I love this tea. It’s one of my favorite strong, robust black teas which is not bitter. The fact that it’s shaped into balls just adds to the fun — and I love that the tea isn’t all black; there is quite a bit of gold.
It is easy to measure. I use 6-8 balls for every 8 oz. of water. This brews a nice, strong cup. The liquor is dark. The taste is powerful, strong, and full of cocoa and malty notes. In fact, when I brew this as a tea latte (16 oz mug filled with 8 oz steamed milk, 8 oz. double-strength brewed tea, one packet of Truvia), it is so chocolately that I could almost swear I am drinking hot chocolate.
As much as I love this, it isn’t a tea for sipping when you want something that has subtle, sophisticated flavors. This is serious black tea. It will wake you up and start your day on the right note. If you like Keemuns or Assams, I feel confident saying you will probably like Black Dragon Pearls.
(As a side note, I visited Teavana today and saw they had a Black Dragon Pearls candle! I almost bought it, but like most Teavana products, it was a bit overpriced. It smelled lovely, although it didn’t capture the rich chocolate-y-ness of this tea.)
This has become my go-to black tea when I feel like I need something strong to start the day, but I can’t decide which tea I want to drink. It has that wonderful toastiness — almost chewiness — and that biscuit-y quality that is exactly what I like in a tea to drink with breakfast. It helped jolt me out of my sluggish, sleep deprived stupor this morning, and it tasted so good, I think I’ll drink it again tomorrow.
